Instagram Do’s and Don’ts: Mistakes Can Hurt Your Business

November 19, 2015 No comments

I love Instagram. I really love it. It’s fun, it’s colorful, it’s unique and it is still so easy to get ORGANIC response from your posts. If you’re about to start using Instagram for your business as a marketing tool, there are few things you should know before you jump in.

Do these things and earn Instagram envy

DO credit the photographer if the photographer is not you or if the image is not owned by you. But first, always get permission!

DO use geotagging. Check in at your location whenever it makes sense. Geo-tagging is a great way for new users to find you when they check into the same place. Great news? You don’t always have to physically be at the location to check-in there!

DO be interesting, creative and relevant. Analyze the type of content your audience engages with the most and create a strategy around that. Don’t always post the same things. Give your feed some pizazz by posting videos, sneak peeks or featuring user-generated content.

DO use popular filters. Notice what your users interact with. If they tend to like photos with one or two specific filters, stick with those. Remember that consistency in imagery is important to your audience.

DO post often, but don’t fill your feed all at once. Once or twice a day is great, with three times a day being the limit. When at an event, be thoughtful of how often you’re posting and what you’re posting. One image of an event is usually more powerful, and curious, than many.

DO be authentic and in-the-moment. Instagram is all about the instant. What is happening right now that is really cool in respect to your brand?

DO keep an eye on all hashtags related to your brand. Engage with all of the posts and accounts that use them. Like and comment, ask if you can share the image – this is one great way to be social and earn new followers.

DO create unique hashtags specific to your brand or business. Using your business name or event title is a great way to rally your followers around your brand. Make them creative, unique and easy to remember.

DO take advantage of user-generated content. When a follower uses your hashtag or tags you in a photo, think of it as new content for your feed! But always ask “May we share this with our followers” and always give credit to the person who snapped the shot.

Jane Johnson @jane_johnson is a photographer, designer, writer and scripture-digger living on Maui. Her Instagram feed is always a do. A combination of style, beauty and authentic truth.

Whatever you do, Don’t do these things:

DON’T use a photo unless you know who the photographer, have been given permission to use it, and always, always give credit to the person who snapped the shot. @tag the photographer in your written caption.

DON’T go crazy with frames. Think about aesthetics and keeping your feed consistent in look and feel is important.

DON’T hijack hashtags. Using the wrong hashtag is like showing up to a party you weren’t invited to. Don’t be a wedding crasher! Before you use a hashtag that might sound relative and good, do some research. Search for it on the platform and see what other users are posting around that hashtag. If it’s specific to an event or promotion, don’t use it.

DON’T beg for followers. Follow-for-follow accounts are lame. You want authentic audience members who actually care about your content. Follow people and businesses that are relative to your brand. Others will do the same organically.

DON’T be overly sales-y or promotional. Instagram is about beautiful photos, sneak peeks, behind-the-scenes, and cool pics that people won’t see anywhere else. You will turn people off if you’re always trying to sell them something.

Just a few tips to help you navigate Instagram etiquette. Now, I’d love to see how you’re putting them to work! Share your Instagram in the comments below and I’ll take a look!